Return!

Yes, I know, it's only because of the current situation and quarantine, but I managed to overcome my writers block and actually bothered to flesh out the inevitable finale of this wild ride.

Yes, I know, I should be updating more, but I'll have you know!

I'm also working on some smut over on Ao3.

Also, I apologize for the joke(s) in the title.

Enjoy!

For want of a knight

chapter 27: heavy metals

John was agitated right now. Part of it stemmed from the general reaction to the sudden reveal of Jaune being promised to a girl right after his birth by Julius Arc, part of it by him remembering it in the first place.

He shivered at recalling the reception of the news. The emotions with the girls ran the gamut from 'despair' to 'fuckraeg', whatever the hell that word meant. The silver-haired girl with the combat skirt used it before running off into the forest, presumably to murder Grimm, followed by her team, Nora and Yang.

This whole thing going on, along with his wife trying to calm them down, was the reason why he slinked off to do something else that weighed on his mind. The presumed terrorists which had been captured were sitting within specialized holding cells on a secondary Atlas airship with tight security measures, making it very difficult to get in without clearance.

Except that John used his natural charisma, along with some veiled threats and a bit of bluffing about having the good general's blessing to interrogate the prisoners.

Then he stood before Winter Schnee. The specialist wasn't fooled at all regarding his clearance and wanted to check back with Ironwood. Except that the father played a certain card. Sure, it was somewhat underhanded, but it was a necessity to have these questions churning in his mind answered.

He asked her if she wouldn't do the same if their roles were reversed. The Schnee, grumbling and huffing, conceded the point and allowed it, as long as the information he extracted from the three was useful.

They hadn't talked at all so far. Winter proposed they split up for now, her interrogating Emerald Sustrai, him questioning Mercury Black, then the two meeting up to confront Cinder Fall, the mastermind behind the sabotage of the CCT and the Atlesian Knights.

And so it came that Johnathan Arc, loving and doting father of eight, stood before the cell of one Mercury Black.

"Young man," he spoke up. The gray-haired boy looked at him with a strange expression; a faked cockiness which was entirely misplaced, considering his situation.

"So. What brings you here, huh?" John's eyes narrowed at the tone; it wasn't one who was assured of his eventual victory, but someone who desperately wanted to be assured because facing reality was painful right now.

It didn't make any sense. Winter had briefed him about the three. Mercury Black, son of assassin Marcus Black, a man notorious for doing any job as long as the money was good. Neither remorse nor conscience, he was perfect for any shady person with shady business to do. Until he seemed to have bit it, as his remains were recovered in what appeared to be his home.

Murdered. Either by a rival or…

"I have some questions to ask you, young man." John's voice was stern and fatherly, trying to ease him in. The apparent assassin didn't seem to buy it.

"Really now? About what, huh? 'Cause lemme tell you..."

He leaned forward. John knew enough to recognize the old bait-and-switch; he wouldn't-

"I'll tell you everything."

That caught the PatriArc off-guard. Mercury's expression seemed sad, defeated. "Look, just ask me so I can go back to feel like shit for no reason."

"I know of your father."

"Oh sure, begin with that." He rolled his eyes. "Asshole had it coming from a mile away."

"So you killed him?" Patricide was frowned upon, but if the victim in this case was a massive, flaming, irredeemable asshole responsible for the death of his mother, John would overlook it.

"Yup. No remorse." Merc leaned back on his cot, staring the father straight in the eyes. "Anything else?"

Well, since he asked… "Why did your group upload a virus into the CCT?"

"You'll have to ask Cinder that," the kid grumbled. "She was so smug about it. Called it the 'distraction'. I'm just the hired muscle, and only because my old man wasn't available anymore."

So Cinder initially desired the services of Marcus Black, which was worrying all on its own. No one with good intentions had ever hired him.

"Alright. One more, and I'll be out of your hair." A part of John pitied the youth in his holding cell. It was the fatherly part that yelled out to him that this boy had lived under a tyrant of a father for all his life, stripped of a more carefree youth, something that everyone should be able to enjoy once in their life.

"Was my son involved in your plans?"

The reaction he got was curious. The young man in his cell seemed to struggle with himself before…

well he started ranting.

"So basically, we're initially after some chick Cinder called the Fall Maiden. Apparently had some awesome powers that she wanted."

John nodded along, now knowing about Amber being a severely injured agent of Ozpin's and VIP, if only because they saw her stumbling out of the gates to give Cinder an asskicking. She was somewhat stable, but had to recuperate for now, at least until she got her powers transferred back to her. John had wondered how siphoning someone's aura off completely was possible and had shivered at the implications

"But then she got boxblocked, so we had to retreat until we got to Beacon to finish the job. Fuck knows where she was exactly though, so that took a while in and of itself. Oh yeah, and Lionheart is in on the whole thing, got us our alibi as transfer students from Haven."

A startling revelation for certain. Ironwood and Ozpin would want to hear this.

"If you're asking why I'm throwing him under the bus, well, I can't stand the cowering prick. Anyway, of to Beacon we fuck, only to hear that the festival is postponed, and apparently the whole thing can't go without it. Oh, and Cinder managed to get the White Fang in. Turns out Adam Taurus is exactly the extremist everyone thought him to be. Edgy fucker," Mercury added under his breath.

"So Cinder decided to take the time and go deep cover, since everyone is doing it. You know what happened after that?" John waited until he told him. They tended to do that with rhetoric questions. "She met Jaune, said he was 'interesting'. So Emerald with her mommy complex gets to know him and apparently develops a daddy complex, I don't fucking know. Meanwhile I meet with some dudes who happened to be the former resident assholes. You know what happened there? Well?"

John waited again.

"They fucking got to backstories. I thought I had it bad with my fucking old man. Dude, I ain't got shit on Sky. Fucking Sky! Dude looks like he has constantly wet hair and whines about the color of his toast, but ends up cheerfully, fucking cheerfully, recount the days when he was whored out by his own mom as if it didn't bother him! And it doesn't anymore, according to him!"

He had to be kidding. John refused to believe that any parent would be that evil to their offspring, not even Marcus Black.

"Fucking." The young man took a deep breath, savoring at least some new air in his lungs, as stale as it was. "Look. Before this crazy fucker just came out with something like that, I thought I had a bad lot. Suddenly I felt like some dipshit whining about how my dad wasn't nice to me."

"Professionals have standards, all of them. My old man's were fucking low, but he had them. Me? I draw the line at that shit, hell I'd work for free if it meant getting rid of human turds like that. It's why I told a watered down version of my own story to Jaune when he asked. I didn't want to, but he has that something that just makes you feel like you could tell him anything and he wouldn't judge."

Mercury, at first high strung, now slumped in his position with a weary sigh. "The dude, your son, he's a good guy. Honestly. We didn't even really have any interest at first. Then Cinder wanted to scout out the partner of the Invincible Girl, and suddenly he himself caught her interest. That got Emerald to watch him because, fuck if I know, pretty sure it's a crush on her. Then she just comes back and goes 'I see what she sees in him.'."

"So I go. And with everything...the dude suddenly develops a bomb-ass semblance, so apparently Cinder wants to at least kidnap him. I mean, can you blame her, with that semblance? I..." Mercury sighed once more. "This whole thing, it was the closest thing I ever came to a normal life. Suddenly we weren't assassins and terrorist anymore. We were just like the other students, and you know what? It was a great fucking time."

Johnathan looked at the boy before him, not the assassin sabotaging the CCT, not the son of the bastard who murdered his mother, just a boy alone against the world, fighting tooth and nail for his own survival.

"Son," John began, Mercury confused about the address. "Seeing as you provided some valuable intel, I'll see if I can get you pardoned." The young man scoffed derisively at the notion.

"Yeah, right," he snarled. "Even if you could pull it off, the others won't be forgiving me. Now with our cover blown, there's no chance to turn back anymore."

There was something in his eyes, something that, secretly, yearned for it all to return to how it was, to just be Merc from Haven rather than hired assassin Mercury Black.

"You have my word," retorted John, seeing this. "I will make sure that everyone knows how you got roped into this. I'm not sure if the other two are just pawns themselves and how much they believe in their cause, but you? I want to help you, young man."

"And why the hell would you do that?!"

"Because I want to." The seasoned huntsman turned to walk away with that, the interrogation finished. "I don't need a better reason."

/-/

The final stretch of a rather unsettling chain of interviews was upon the father of eight and if the sour expression on the specialist's face was anything to go by, things were unsuccessful on her end.

"She doesn't talk." Her tone carried a hint of annoyance. "Miss Sustrai is quite loyal to Miss Fall and I can only imagine why."

"He sung like a bird." Her face softened a little, even as her gaze sharpened. "Forceful recruitment. He was essentially pressured into her service. Would a pardon for him be possible?"

"We would have to review his particular case further. Is he repentant at least?"

"Call it a change of heart."

Winter made a non-committal sound before facing the large metal door in front of the two. Behind that door, through a corridor, was an imprisoned terrorist mastermind, someone who had the destruction of Beacon and the murder of one of Ozpin's agents on her mind for reasons unknown. Regardless of her reasons, however, she was dangerous and not to be taken lightly.

Imagine their surprise when, expecting a haughty woman with a condescending smirk on her lips, looking like all was part of her plan, they saw a hollow looking woman staring down at the floor while sitting huddled on her own cot. Her silky black hair draped over one of her eyes like a shadow, her face expressionless.

All in all, Cinder Fall didn't seem like an invincible mastermind.

"So," John began before Winter started speaking.

"Cinder Fall. Your minion talked regarding your plans and connections. As it stands right now, you are guilty of treason and conspiracy against the kingdoms. The punishment for this is the sealing of your aura. Do you have anything to say to defend yourself?"

Against Winter's somewhat haughty yet still professional tone Cinder said...nothing. She didn't even react. This didn't sit well with the Schnee, whose expression grew displeased with her silence.

"Specialist if I may." The PatriArc stepped forward. The young lady before him, according to his wife, had seemed rather taken by their son. However, judging by what Mercury said, this could have very well been a deception, a ruse to get close to Jaune and use him.

John didn't like the implications, not one bit.

"We know of your plans, but not of your motivations. What drove you to do this, to plan all this? Is Lionheart your boss? If yes, what would all this accomplish for him?"

Nothing again, even as he mentioned the traitorous headmaster. Not a flinch, not a shiver, nothing. She was still breathing, sure, but the rest of her was just dead.

"How did you want to involve my son into all this?" He raised his voice, slowly growing aggravated. "What made you think he would go along with all this? Well?!"

Again, Cinder didn't respond. John, already turning around with Winter, then barely caught a sentence out of her mouth.

"...White Fang rogue."

With one glare, both her interrogators waited for her to elaborate. "Rogue, you say?"

"They should have waited," Cinder finally replied, this time a little louder, but with a hollow voice. "I could have slipped in and out, with no one noticing. Amber would have died painlessly, no one had to know. The White Fang would have stirred trouble at the docks. A double cross..."

So those were her initial plans before everything went pear shaped. However still, Johnathan's question wasn't answered yet.

"And what about Jaune?" he demanded to know. The next words out of her mouth quelled his anger in an instant, replacing it with confusion.

"He was my Happily Ever After." A sadness crept into the terrorists voice. "He wouldn't want me anymore after hearing this. Why should he? He has so many yearning for his heart. But still..." Her head sank onto her knees, which she had been hugging for a while now.

"I just wanted a part of this. It would have been..."

She never finished that sentence, yet both specialist and veteran huntsman understood now, at least in part. Cinder wasn't responsive to any more queries after that, so they let her be.

The both of them walked all the way back to the boarding area on the airship for the bullheads, eager to return to the headmasters with the news. What neither of them noticed was that a few of the guards they passed were either sweating nervously, shivering or simply absent.

Neither of the two knew or considered that those were, in fact, off to a date with Rosie Palms. Getting approached by a blonde tower of a man did things to you, especially if he demanded passage via kabedon.

/-/

The tension within the headmaster's office was quite palpable, particularly after Ozpin was confronted by Ironwood regarding a certain someone's transcripts. While Ironwood would concede that this matter in and of itself was under Ozpin's jurisdiction, the suspicion the good general had uttered rose the tensions more than anything else.

Glynda Goodwitch gave her old friend her fiercest glare. "You can't be serious, James. This wouldn't make any sense in the first place!"

"Wouldn't it?" he retorted with an almost flippant tone. "What if Mr Arc was their vanguard and fed them information? The fact that a man with forged transcripts applies to Beacon within the same timeframe as their planned attack on Beacon and Amber can't be a coincidence. Ozpin, Mr Arc could be a spy of hers!"

"Jimmy," Qrow interjected, kicking off the wall he had leaned against up until that moment. "That theory is full of holes. Most of all, chances are that Ozzy was aware of the kid's transcripts anyway and allowed him in regardless, but kept a close eye. If the kid conversed with her, he would know."

The general didn't quite buy it, instead glaring at Ozpin, who sipped his beverage of choice with the usual infuriating calm. "Well?"

Ozpin deigned to answer. "What Qrow said is accurate, James. As an aside, I sincerely doubt that Mr Arc is one of her agents, regardless of Ms Fall's interest in him. Oh, and please do not utter your suspicions within earshot of his parents."

"Oh please do, Jimmy. "Qrow grinned at the mental image. "i want to see you getting beaten up with your own arm." Ironwood didn't dignify that with a response, instead straightening his posture and breathing in deep.

"I do hope that your faith in the now kidnapped Mr Arc is not unfounded. Apart from that, do you think-"

"I swear, if you accuse my son of being in league with the White Fang, I'm going to lose my shit."

Johnathan Arc had arrived, with Winter Schnee in tow. Her own expression was one of surprise and indignation at the informal address to the general, even if she could understand why the PatriArc fell back to that. Ironwood turned to the two, unfazed but pensive regarding their presence.

"Specialist Schnee, Mr Arc. May I ask what brings you here?"

"General." Winter saluted, always mindful of her duties and proper decorum. "We conducted an interrogation of the three suspects and have achieved some results."

The overall information was relayed curtly and with leaving out unnecessary information. Naturally, the news that Lionheart had aided Cinder were not well received.

"Bastard," Ironwood snarled. Glynda was no better, her glare only intensifying, but not directed towards James anymore. Ozpin sighed and leaned back into is chair, his expression downcast.

"So he betrayed us. Why?"

"Why?" Qrow scoffed. "Leo's a coward, Oz. Chances are he did it to save his own hide. Sure, you thought convincing him that he's safer working under you worked for a time, but now he turned on us." Glynda directed her attention to the father of eight, her gaze now one of concern.

"And you're certain of her motives regarding your son, John? For all we know she could be lying."

John shook his head at that. "You can't fake being that broken, Glynda. She seemed dead inside. Also, am I missing something here?"

No one bothered to answer that, instead focussing on the task at hand.

"Miss Goodwitch," Ozpin decided. "Please meet up with Mrs Arc to prepare for your departure towards Menagerie. Make sure to have the Belladonnas informed of your arrival." The headmistress nodded and went to the elevator.

"James, make sure to purge any trace of the virus, but not before finding out who could have programmed it. With this level of sophistication, it could only be someone very skilled in that field, which leaves few options."

"Very well."

"I'm off to Haven," Qrow declared, now all business. "Don't phone ahead; I want it to be a surprise." With that, he jumped out of the window and turned into a bird, flying off.

'What- was he always able to do that?' It was John's first time seeing his transformation.

"Mr Arc."

John looked at Ozpin, this enigma of a man, staring into his green eyes, which seemed to hold unfathomable wisdom and secrets.

"Do you truly want to work on rehabilitating Mr Black?"

"If I can," he replied, still staring at the man, trying to coax some wisdom out of him. "I want to work on rehabilitating the all."

"Why?"

"Because they seem less terrorists and more scared children to me right now."

The headmaster chuckled at that and shook his head. "You and your bleeding heart."

"It's an Arc thing," John chuckled, scratching the back of his head.